I Like Cute
by shoret
Summary: A look at how Alice and Frank got together. Rated T for light drinking. FL/AL Story art link in profile! to Complete!


DISCLAIMER: Anything you recognize isn't mine besides I am a poor college student who owns nothing so suing me would be pointless.

ILCILC

I Like Cute

ILCILC

Girl's Dormitory 1966

ILCILC

Alice was completely and one hundred percent average. She didn't stand out in any way unlike her friends. She was one member in a group of four best friends. Her other friends were all exceptional, unique, and wonderful. They were the best friends she could ever ask for and she wouldn't trade them in for anything: she just sometimes wished she could stand out like them. She didn't want everyone to notice her she just wanted him to notice her.

All of her friends knew who he was. He was Frank Longbottom, Alice's long time crush. Sure Frank and Alice were friends and they hung out and talked a lot, but it never moved on past that and at the end of the day Alice would always think that if she were a little bit more like her friends then Frank would be interested.

If she were witty and intelligent like Lily, instead of mediocre grade wise and somewhat shy then Frank would like her. If she were stunningly gorgeous like Marlene, instead of a mousy brunette with pale blue eyes then Frank would like her. If she were a fasionista who always knew the latest and greatest like Emmeline instead of having her comfortable wardrobe and like of old movies and music then Frank would like her. Unfortunately she couldn't banter like Lily, doll herself up like Marlene, or recite the lyrics to the trendiest songs like Emmeline. She wasn't the natural understated beauty that Lily was. She wasn't the always put together modelesque Marlene. She wasn't the trendy urban Emmeline. She was 'cute' Alice.

That is the word everyone used to describe her. She was always cute. It was always Alice you look so cute. Cute is a word you use to describe a child and that is how it made Alice feel. She wanted to be sexy or edgy once instead of just cute. She had tried earlier that day to look sexy and had failed miserably.

ILCILC

Earlier.

ILCILC

Alice woke up with a mission. She was going to look hot today and blow everyone's mind or hopefully one person's at least. She wasn't going to look like she did everyday. Instead of wearing her knee high socks with her flats she put on nylons and a pair of maroon stilettos that Marlene bought for her so she would have "something Gryffindor sexy" for her wardrobe. Alice shook her head just thinking of Marlene's wardrobe necessities. Next she hiked up her skirt a few inches so it was at her upper thigh instead of mid thigh. For her shirt she just unbuttoned two buttons instead of one. Lastly she used a glamour charm she saw Emmeline do that gave you a smoky eye and applied her chapstick.

She couldn't look at herself in the mirror because she felt uncomfortable so she exited the bathroom to get her friends opinion. Marlene was the first to react, "Oh my God Alice you look so … hot! Why don't you do this everyday?" Alice smiled shyly and tugged at the edge of her skirt. "Stop fidgeting look super good I don't want you to mess it up. Don't you dare pull that skirt again or I will have to hex you."

Alice relaxed somewhat at Marlene's joking threats and waited for Emmeline and Lily's reactions. Emmeline reacted in a similar way to Marlene. "Wow Ally you look so great. Did you use that charm I taught you?"

"Yeah you don't mind do you?" Naturally Emmeline didn't. Lily still hadn't voiced her opinion. Alice was getting nervous and tucked her hair behind her ear. "So what do you think Lily?"

Lily could tell Alice wasn't comfortable in her new look and it broke her heart because she knew that the only reason Alice was doing this was to get Frank's attention. She didn't support Alice changing herself for some guy, but at the same time she new Alice needed her support. Lily sighed. "You look really nice, but do you like how you look?"

"Of course," Alice stated while putting her hair behind her ear again in a nervous habit.

In all of her classes that day Alice was getting huge amounts of attention and compliments unfortunately none of it was from Frank. He just stared at her with an unreadable expression on his face. He never even said she looked good the one time they talked that day. It was like she repulsed him. She couldn't take it. She had worked so hard and had suffered in uncomfortable clothes and shoes all day for him not to notice. Making up her mind she decided to confront him, "Hey Frank. You didn't comment on my new look today."

He just looked at her with that same unreadable possibly disappointed look and said, "Oh yeah it's really different from what you normally wear. Why did you decide to wear it?"

'Different' was all he had to say about it? Alice wanted to cry. "No reason I was just tired of always be thought of as cute" she replied while hurrying off to nurse her hurt pride.

Unfortunately Alice didn't hear Frank's last remark. "I like cute."

ILCILC

Present.

ILCILC

She was ready to give up on Frank. He obviously didn't like her. After his distaste of her outfit she came up to her room threw on her favorite pajama pants that had bubbling cauldrons on them and a white tank top. Why should she try to look nice? She grabbed her secret flask of firewhiskey and started drinking. Who cares that she was suppose to be down at dinner right now? She was crushed and the more she thought about Frank the sadder she got. Why didn't he like her? He wasn't that great. He was never serious and super nerdy. The minute those thoughts went through her brain she immediately defended him. He wasn't nerdy he just had a healthy appreciation for books and it was good that he joked a lot because it made her feel comfortable with him.

Sometime during her argument with herself Alice had stumbled into the common room. Her hair was messed up and the bottle was cradled between her Indian style crossed legs. She had a lost look on her face and the only word that could possibly describe her was cute. She looked cute beyond belief.

That was how Frank found her and even he had to stop in the portrait hole to admire the picture she presented. It wasn't until he got closer that he noticed the bottle of alcohol. He didn't know Alice was the type to drink. "Why are drinking Alice? Are you ok you didn't come down for diner?"

Hearing Frank's voice startled Alice out of her thoughts. She didn't even hear him enter. She looked up at him and was going ask him what he said but instead all that came out was, "Why don't you like me?"

She said it in such a quiet and bewildered voice that Frank thought she looked and sounded like a lost child. He was surprised by her bluntness, but then again she had been drinking. What surprised him more was the fact that she thought he didn't like her. "What do you mean Alice? Of course I like you."

"No you don't. I flirt with you all the time and you've never once asked me out and you hated my outfit today even though I wore it for you and everyone else liked it but not you and you didn't tell me I looked pretty and you hurt my feelings so I got my bottle and I don't know why I try so hard when it's obvious you don't like me and I can't stop liking you and it makes me mad. You make me so mad and why couldn't you just say you liked my outfit?"

During Alice's drunken rant Frank had to sit down. He dropped down on the couch next too her and tried to take in everything she was saying, "Alice, Ally." She wasn't responding so he took her face in his hands and moved her head so she made eye contact with him. Her eyes were red as if she were about to cry. "Listen carefully ok?" She nodded. "Are you listening?" Again she nodded. "I do like you. I have liked since I saw you passed out on the common room couch with your potions book over your face in second year."

Maybe it was the alcohol or maybe she just wasn't processing things right, but all she could say to Frank's admission was, "But you didn't like my outfit?"

Frank laughed. "I did like your outfit. Trust me I really liked your outfit. I just didn't like other people seeing you in that outfit. You don't need to dress up to get me to like you."

Finally what Frank was saying sunk into Alice's alcohol addled brain and she launched herself forward at him kissing him while throwing her arms around him. Normally this would have all happened without incident, but due to the firewhiskey she ended up kissing his chin and hitting him in the eye with her hand. "Ow ow ow. Let me, drunk girl." Frank pushed her back a little ways. "Stay" Alice smiled and nodded her head in an overly dramatic way. Frank took Alice's face between his hands and lightly kissed her on the lips. He pulled back to make sure she was still ok with him kissing her and went in for another longer kiss.

ILCILC

Infirmary Room 1996

ILCILC

"They were inseparable ever since that day." Remus finished telling Neville.

"But if they were alone then how did you see that happen?" Neville questioned from his bed in the infirmary. After the battle at the ministry Remus had started telling Neville stories about his parents. It had always cheered Harry up so Remus tried it on Neville too. Having to face the murderer of your parents is never easy and talking about the olden days helped ease Remus' pain too. "Professor?"

Remus looked at Neville and smiled, "Well James, Sirius, Peter, and myself were getting ready to pull a prank so we were under James' invisibility cloak at the time and caught the whole thing."

"What were you guys gunna do?"

Remus' eyes got a far away look like they did every time he talked of the past. Then his mouth turned up in the corners as if he was suppressing a smile. He looked Neville in the eyes lowered his voice and said, "Well you know what a vanishing cabinet is right?"

ILCILC

A/N: I decided to do a Frank/Alice story because I could really play around with it. I decided to add the part about Neville at the end because I just reread book 5 and can't help but feel so sad for him. Honestly what happened to him was as bad as if not worse than what happened to Harry, but the books don't really address it all that much.


End file.
